Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-25
A Card From the Baker Iron
Works COmpanY.


EDITOR HERALD: We had intended to have
said nothing more'in reference to the strike
at our works, but an article in last evenings
Express signed Employees" 80 mlsrepresents
the facts, we feel compelled to correct 1t,
being assured that 1t is not fair representa-
ton of the feelings rof majority of the
strikers. And right here wherein lies the
great wrong and danger of strikes: One or
two men assume to be the mouthpieee for
the whole. They commence their work
among the men, who have the interest of
their employers at heart, to take their time
to consider 1t and assent to proposition to
get rid of them, and perhaps put their names
TO something they did not take time to in
vestigate, and once having got their names,
they try TO hold them responsible for all that
they may say in the future. We have known
this to have been the facts in all Strikes and
we now know it is the case in this, for
number of our best men have told us SO. If
it were the individuals We were dealing with
we would have no trouble with them ut all,
for the majority OF our men are good, intelli-
gent, industrious men-men capable of see
ing the right and wrong side; but they allow
themselves to be controlled by one or two
who are not entitled to so much credit
But for the correction: "Employes" say
we misrepresent them again. that they did
propose to meet us and try and adjust, etc;
that on the 10th they sent us comnunica-
tion from committee they had appoint ed
we ignored them entirely. Now, we present
herewith the communication they refer to,
which eorroborates what we said instead of
refuting it-namely, that they gave us no
chance to argue the question and that we
are trying to misrepresent them and preju-
dice the people in our favor, etc.:
Los ANGELES, August 10th.
"To the Baker Iron Works Company,
GENTLEMEN-We, the undersigned com
mittee appointed by your employees, have
decided 10 comply with your request, and
give you time to consider the IN after brought
before you yesterday. We shall, however,
expect your answer ON Monday, August I'D,
whether ar not you will accept nine hours as
days work from that date.
Respectfully yours,
7. BLACKBURN,
A. BURRELL,
JOHN DoNNELLY,
LOUIS BICKEs,
w. l.. CARSON"
Now, does this show anything else but
just what we have said? They & we us no
chance to meet them, but gave as an ulti-
matum that we must not work but nine
hours. AS we said before, the mass of our
men did not know this and are being de-
ceived Honest aud true themselves they
supposed their associates We're. Now, we
must say one word more. They carry the
idea that they did not threaten to interfere
with those that chose to work. Now, we
have positive evidence to the contrary. A
good man tells us Today he would not sign
the demand, but when the men went out
they told him he must 60, for If he did not
they would see to it that he had to leave this
town. Further, during the week and pend
ing the giving of our answer, we called into
our office the foreman of each department
and put the question to them thus: Now,
if the strikers so out are you willing to Stay
and help us with new men that we shall put
in?" Their reply was that, I'VE always are
down on strikes, but we dare not stay here.
We would forfeit our lives by doing so. II
tod hapn lt71 ha an.at
knocked down in the streets. Then it came
to us direct from the union that an advance
of wages was under discussion, and that it
was decided first to get them down to the
nine hourse, and then we will carry them to
the advance pay. With these facts brought
before us we concluded we might as well
have it settled at once, namely, whether we
were to make our own bargains for our men,
Or in other words, allowed to run our own
business.
Just one word more. But few days pre-
vious to this demand we had conceded
raise OF wages in the car-shop under pro-
test that we had to make our contracts for
three months ahead.
We don't like to be writing an
answer to letters signed employees
when we don't know which Of the
seventy-five of our men that left us
wrote it, and are pretty certain that they
were not bound nor responsible for what
was written or said. Employees are trying
to make different issue from the true one
the men either but that other company that
assume SO much and the ones We have so
wonderfully offended. In the above article
we have shown by their own communion
tion that all we said was true and that they
gave us no chance to reach the men and
reason with them that is the tactic of this
self constituted company that the labor1ng
man and mechanic they are 50 wonderfully
anxious for shall let them do their business
and thinking. But sas good fortune would
have 1t some of the men chose to think for
themselves and more of them are of the
same stamp but are intimidated from the
exercise of an opinion from having seen the
effects of this organization on works East
and fear personal violence and prefer to re-
main passive.
The man who does the thinking for
the men or at least does the
writing shows a weakness and u want OF
the use of pen, and no doubt has less in
clination to use the tools of mechanic.
Now we disclaim any part of this remark as
having been made for single man that lefs
us, for we don't believe one of them wrote
ii, though it is signed employees If so, we
woul be much obliged If he would put his
name to it, We will say our men, as body,
are an intelligeet class of men and quite
competent to do their own thinking. 1t is in
their intelligence and good judgement that
we have based much of our success. But,
nevertheless, we must have 1t understood
that we are alone responsible for our works
and not they, and as long as we pay them
all we agree to we can't see wherein comes
the oppression SO much harped on by the
mouthpiece of the employee ;. We will say
this; If he or his company will do as much
for the mechanics as we are doing. right
here in Los Angeles, we will divide the
BAKER IRON WORKS.